COHEED AND CAMBRIA INFORMATION: Members: Claudio Sanchez, Travis Stever, Michael Todd, Chris Pennie
Origin: Nyack, New York
Hailing from Nyack, New York, Coheed and Cambria have been one of the most successful prog rock bands of the 2000s that has achieved great commercial success. The original band members, Claudio Sanchez and Travis Stever, formed their first band, Shabutie, in 1995 and experimented with a variety of musical styles and refined their craft over the years. The band would become Coheed and Cambria in 2001 when the group settled on their final format with new additions bassist Michael Todd, and drummer Joshua Eppard would round out a lineup that would soon embrace a fusion of progressive rock, punk, hardcore and other elements to become a huge hit on the rock music scene.
Coheed and Cambria's music is actually an extension of a larger narrative written by Claudio Sanchez. Coheed and Cambria are actually two children who are infected with a serum that has the potential to destroy the universe, and Sanchez's graphic novel The Amory Wars illustrates the many themes that come through in the band's music. The band's first album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, is actually the second installment in the story, and the group would tour extensively to promote the record.
In 2003, the group released its last album on Equal Vision Record, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, which netted the group its most successful singles, "A Favor House Atlantic" and "Blood Red Summer." Coheed and Cambria followed that up with Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, which would hit No. 7 on the U.S. charts and would be certified Gold. In the following years, the group finished its five-part series with 2010's Year of the Rainbow, which would hit No. 2 on the U.S. rock charts and solidify the group's status as punk rock royalty.
After a two-year hiatus of touring, live albums and other side projects, Coheed and Cambria came roaring back in 2012 with the release of The Afterman: Ascension, which was well-received by critics and fans alike. The album would jump into the top 5 of the U.S. album charts and has built significant buzz for the group's highly-anticipated release, The Afterman: Descension, which will be released in February 2013. With their crushing riffs, diverse themes and undeniable musical talent, Coheed and Cambria has set itself apart from the traditional punk rock mold to become a wholly unique attraction on today's r